


Play Heros

by okemmelie



Category: The Guy Who Didn't Like Musicals - Team StarKid
Genre: Angst, Cheating, F/M, mentions of sex not having of sex
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-05
Updated: 2020-05-05
Packaged: 2021-03-02 21:27:11
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,327
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24023572
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/okemmelie/pseuds/okemmelie
Summary: He didn’t plan to tell anyone about their affair, he really didn’t. It was between him and Charlotte and no one else needed to know. But Melissa noticed. And Melissa asked. And Ted told her everything. “What’s with men and always wanting to play the hero?” She’d asked. Ted had told her he didn’t want to play the hero. He just wanted Charlotte. He loved her and this had nothing to do with heroism. It was love.
Relationships: Charlotte/Ted (The Guy Who Didn't Like Musicals)
Comments: 45
Kudos: 56





	Play Heros

**Author's Note:**

> mr. nick lang tweeted this: https://twitter.com/NickLangTweets/status/1257684337673281537
> 
> and legally, i had to write something to process my emotions about it. will probably go back to this tweet in the future, but for now, have my unplanned, unedited thoughts in fic form

It was never supposed to be _more_.

A few stolen glances in the breakroom, his hand brushing against hers in the elevator, the unspoken chemistry that only exists between a touchstarved married woman and her hopelessly honrny coworker. And that was fine.

Ted didn’t want more. He didn’t need more. He liked the chase, not the woman. And the sex? Well, he could get that from someone else. The tension and the excitement of an office romance, however? That was reserved for Charlotte.

Back then, Ted didn’t know much about her husband. _Sam._ Even thinking the name made his blood boil now, but back then he’d just been the husband.

Back then, he’d play along. Pretend he cared while Charlotte blabbered on about his job as police. Dreadfully boring stuff, but at least it gave him an excuse to put his hand on her knee when they went out for coffee. And it gave her a chance to blush and pretend she minded, but she never made an effort to move her leg nor his hand, and that’s how Ted knew he’d won.

But then the months would progress and Sam would call her work phone and he’d cancel and she’d look so incredibly sad and so incredibly beautiful, so he’d offer to drive her home and she’d smile and it wouldn’t look convincing but it’d still be beautiful, and she’d say yes and thank you.

That’s how they ended up alone together in his car.

That’s how they ended up alone together in her apartment.

That’s how they ended up alone together in her bed.

It’s funny, really. He’d always felt so in control of the situation back then. Like it was him, holding all the cards. She’d clung so helplessly onto his arm on their way to his car and he’d smiled smugly, because he had been so convinced he knew what was going to happen.

And when they’d gotten in his car, he’d put his hand on her knee. It’d slowly traveled up to her thigh during the car ride and it’d been fine, because she hadn’t complained.

They’d slept together. Of course. And the chase was over.

It was sad, really. Ted had liked the chase.

Maybe that’s why he grabbed the chance the next time it presented itself. Another call from Sam, another sad look and another car ride home. Another trip into bed with a sad woman who just needed something more.

He was something more. Something better.

At least he tried to be and that was more than what could be said about her piece-of-shit husband. Sam. Sam, who always made her sad. Sam, who never gave her the love Ted _knew_ she deserved. Sam, who didn’t deserve someone as sweet and caring as Charlotte.

Ted’s mistake was simple. Perhaps the most simple mistake in the human condition.

Ted fell in love.

Ted fell in love and he didn’t fall in love with the chase.

He fell in love with the woman.

At first, it felt like a tragedy.

Charlotte would take him home. She’d let him fuck her in her bed and she’d kiss him ‘til he’d forgotten his name. He’d make him feel things no man or woman had ever made him feel before.

And he’d love her back.

Love her _back_.

He always assumed she loved him back. She had to! She smiled sadly whenever he told her he loved her, but he swore he could see it in her eyes.

She loved him back, but she was just afraid.

She loved him back, but she was just too caught up with Sam.

She loved him back, but she was just a good wife, a good person, so she didn’t say it back.

She loved him back, but the situation didn’t allow for their love to grow and it was heartbreaking for her. For him. For them. Forever.

He didn’t plan to tell anyone about their affair, he really didn’t. It was between him and Charlotte and no one else needed to know.

But Melissa noticed. And Melissa asked. And Ted told her everything.

“What’s with men and always wanting to play the hero?” She’d asked.

Ted had told her he didn’t want to play the hero. He just wanted Charlotte. He loved her and this had nothing to do with heroism. It was love.

She’d laughed and he’d given her a push and that had been the end of that conversation.

He’d asked Charlotte if she loved him.

She’d smiled and kissed him. He’d taken that as a yes.

Then he’d asked her to leave Sam. He may or may not have called him a piece of shit as well as other unpleasant things, because now he cared. About Charlotte. About Sam. About ending her misery and starting her life. Her real life. The one where she was happy and free from all this.

She’d smiled and caressed his cheek. He’d taken that as a no.

Then she’d told him no. She loved Sam. He’d taken that as a no too.

Ted had signed up for therapy.

Nothing to do with Charlotte. He had some stuff he needed to work through and he figured the best way to do it was to start somewhere.

Now, Ted didn’t know a lot about therapy. He’d accidentally opened the door to his therapist’s office and there she’d been. Putting her bra back on. The therapist was getting dressed as well.

It felt surreal, so Ted just laughed. Closed the door. And waited.

Charlotte didn’t look at him when he passed.

The therapist apologized for his unprofessionalism. His previous client was in a difficult marriage situation, he’d explained. She was so terribly sad and so incredibly touch starved. Her husband refused to even cuddle her. Then he’d apologized for over-explaining and offered the first session for free as an apology.

Ted had considered saying something. He had considered leaving with a comment about the unprofessionalism and the moral implications of taking advantage of a womans’ sadness as a window to sleep with her.

Then he’d remembered that he’d taken advantage of the exact same woman’s sadness as a window to sleep with her and that therapy was expensive, so he’d rather get a free session and try not to drag himself down as well.

And maybe it was just a one time thing, he told himself. Maybe it was just an accident.

But then he saw her again, exiting her – His? _Their?_ – therapist’s office, looking exactly how she looked when she snuck out of his apartment and he pretended not to notice.

It started feeling more like a comedy.

It started feeling more like a comedy and he was the joke.

Charlotte didn’t just sleep with Ted.

She didn’t just sleep with her therapist either.

Ted saw her leaving clubs with men he didn’t know, with that same look she’d had the first time he’d gone home with her. That sad but beautiful look.

Sometimes she’d leave just as he was arriving and he’d catch her eyes and she’d look away immediately. Other times, he’d be drinking with friends from high school and Charlotte would somehow end up sitting behind him at the bar, giving the same speech he’d heard so many times at the office. About how she’s so sad. So lonely. About how her husband is never home.

He’d never look. He was too scared to find stolen glances or small hand brushes between Charlotte and someone who wasn’t him. He was too scared to have her spot him. To confront her. 

Because confrontation could lead to loss. And he couldn’t lose her.

He also never told Melissa.

Not because he didn’t want to talk about it, not because he didn’t want to share his heartbreak. But because he didn’t want her to be right.

What’s with men and always wanting to play the hero? And why couldn’t they just play the hero with someone who wasn’t Charlotte?


End file.
